1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to laser bonding and, more particularly, to a scheme for improving the efficiency of a laser bonding process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Laser bonding has been successfully utilized in a number of applications to provide joining of piece parts. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,741 entitled "Method of Laser Welding" and issued to R. J. Moores et al. on Feb. 5, 1991. As disclosed, first and second metallic components may be joined along a weld path, with the beam focused by a low turbulent flow of an inert shielding gas along a portion of the path. In most applications, the material used to form the piece part (plastic or metal, for example) is opaque to the optical radiation and the radiation must therefore impinge the material from the side of the point of contact. This limitation is considered to further complicate and increase the cost of laser welding systems.
Thus, a need remains in the art for increasing the utility of laser sources in various bonding applications.